Juniors aiming to bounce back

THE local junior football teams will try to get back on track this Saturday after poor results last weekend, reports MIKE DELANEY.

Glenrothes lost 1-0 at home to Ballingry Rovers - the latter’s first-ever win over the Warout Stadium team - to stumble again in their pursuit of the East Premier League title.

Jamie Gilfillan got the only goal of the match and - added to the previous week’s encounter where Glens surrendered a two-goal lead to Penicuik Athletic - it means that they have picked up just one point since the amazing 4-3 victory at then table-toppers Oakley United last month.

Glens will try to arrest the slide in their fortunes when they travel to Tayport in the league this Saturday, but it is certain to be a tough encounter.

Thornton Hibs are at the other end of the table from Jeanfield Swifts and it showed in Saturday’s East Central League match, although the Memorial Park team feel they weren’t helped by some of the refereeing decisions.

Hibs were already behind to strikes by Jon Kelly and Gavin Mackie when defender, Fraser Moyes, was red-carded on the half-hour mark.

By the time the half-time whistle blew, Aaron Whitehead and Mark Gordon had added to Hibs’ misery.

In the second-half Mackie and Kelly added to their personal and their team’s tallies and, in between those goals, Hibs went down to nine when Kris Maxwell received a second yellow, the red card.

The ordering-off of Swifts’ goalkeeper Mark Mitchell, for denying Lee Whyte a goalscoring opportunity offered Hibs the chance to ensure all the matches scorers weren’t opposition players, but stand-in ‘keeper John Anderson - who had moved from striker to put on the gloves - saved Adam Drummond’s resultant penalty.

Jamie McKenzie delivered the final blow to by scoring Swifts’ seventh.

Hibs make the short journey to Kirkcaldy to play Steelend Vics in the league on Saturday.